The Pittsburgh Steelers needed to step up if they wanted to beat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9. After two disappointing losses, the Steelers were underdogs against the visiting Colts. It didn’t look like they had a good chance at winning. However, the Steelers surprised many by playing arguably their best game of the season. Specifically, their defense looked closer to how the team expected it to when the season started. Former NFL defensive lineman Booger McFarland saw shades of how the Steelers used to play in their Week 9 game.
“It was like a throwback game,” McFarland said recently on ESPN’s NFL PrimeTime. “Five sacks, six turnovers, the MVP frontrunner right now in [Jonathan] Taylor under 50 yards rushing. This was a vintage Steeler game.
“‘You can’t run it, we’re gonna turn you over, and we’re gonna hit your quarterback.’ This is how they wanna play. A defensive game that’s dominant and a quarterback that can maneuver and manufacture and get 20 or so points. They can win a lot of ball games that way.”
The Colts had the best offense in the league going into Week 9. Meanwhile, the Steelers had one of the NFL’s worst defenses. Therefore, it looked like Indianapolis was going to steamroll Pittsburgh.
However, McFarland is correct that the Steelers’ defense played up to its franchise’s standard. It held the Colts to 20 points. While Daniel Jones racked up a lot of passing yards, the Steelers seemed okay with that. Their goal was to stop Taylor first and force Jones to beat them, and that worked like a charm.
Jones has experienced a career resurgence this season, but the Steelers forced him to revert back to the worst version of himself. He had five turnovers that included three interceptions and two lost fumbles. The Steelers got off to a slow start defensively, with Jones and the Colts tearing through them for a touchdown on their first drive. However, after that, they locked in and terrorized Jones.
That was the Steelers’ formula for many years. Their first goal was stopping the run, and then they’d pin their ears back and get after the quarterback. The Steelers’ defense needed that kind of performance after how it had been playing.
It remains to be seen if that unit can continue playing like that. It can generate turnovers at a high volume. However, when it doesn’t, it’s gotten thrashed. If the Steelers’ defense can uphold this standard, though, then perhaps the team can become a legitimate postseason contender.